Secondary School
Year 7
Year 7 Explore Solubility
Year 7 students recently investigated the solubility of various substances including copper sulphate, flour, coffee, salt, sugar, copper carbonate and sand.
Through hands-on experiments, they discovered which materials dissolved in water and which did not, building scientific thinking and teamwork in the process.
Creativity in Colour: Carnevale Comes to Year 7
Year 7 Italian students embraced the vibrant tradition of Carnevale by designing and creating their own colourful masks. This hands-on cultural activity brought language learning to life as students explored the rich history behind Carnevale while expressing their creativity. A joyful blend of art, tradition and learning, bravissimo!
Year 8
Growing Together: Year 8 Learn the Art of Propagation
This week at Little Tree, our Year 8 students learned about propagating plants to create sustainable gardens. It has been wonderful watching our Inquire and Explore class engage in grassroots learning, reconnecting with natural processes and bonding through group activities.
Learning About Ourselves: Year 8 Reflections
Year 8 students have been reflecting on their journey so far this year. This week, they engaged in personal reflection, evaluating their achievements in relation to the goals they set earlier in the term.
They were encouraged to consider how they work best in class and to identify new and useful skills they have developed. This process supports academic growth, personal awareness and self-directed learning.
Here are two fantastic examples of their reflection sheets, completed by Aansh Patel and Ivy Walker.
Year 9
Easter Treats with a Twist
Our Year 9 students got creative this week, baking delicious carrot cakes just in time for Easter! Guided by Mrs Annie Pinson, the class combined hands-on learning with festive fun, filling the room with the sweet smells of cinnamon, carrots and teamwork. A wonderful way to celebrate the season.
Celebrating Our Core Values at the Final Extended Tute Session
In our most recent extended tute session, Years 11 and 12 students gathered to celebrate the achievements of their peers who have exemplified the core values of compassion, respect and integrity, as well as those who have shown persistence and the drive to achieve their personal best.
Teachers were asked to nominate students who embody these qualities, recognising that growth and personal bests are just as important as academic success.
A huge congratulations to the following students for their outstanding efforts:
Year 11:
- Sienna Christie
- Julia Dunn
- Cooper Hunter
- Xavier Bowles
- Fergus McGillivray
- Xavier Johnson
- Hayden Taylor
- Milla Dennis
- Neave Dullard
- Catriona Baldwin
- Madeline Davy
- Olivia Bewis
- Lucy Cowin
Year 12:
- Zeenat Ishola
- Shepherd Jose
- Ebbeny Jettner
- Leigha Trimble
- Rosary Silva
- Paige Looney
- Charlize Weeks
- Chloe Pollock
- Sienna Varcoe
Well done to all the students recognised for their hard work and dedication! Keep striving to achieve your personal bests and continue to support one another in upholding our school’s values.
Living Hope in Action: Years 7 and 8 Serve with Heart
One of the enduring themes of the liturgical season of Lent is hope. During the 40 days leading up to Good Friday, we are invited to reflect on the many ways God offers us hope in our lives. This year, the Anglican Church has centred its Lenten journey on the theme ‘Living Hope’, a focus on a loving God who promises a future where all things are healed and made new. We are called to be living examples of that hope in our communities and our world.
A core belief of the Anglican Church is that all people are ‘designed for community’ and that we grow and flourish when we are together. Building one another up and allowing ourselves to be built up by others is a key teaching of the Church.
Over the past two weeks, our Years 7 and 8 students have put this belief into action by considering how they can support members of our community in need, particularly as the colder months approach. Through our annual hamper collection, students generously donated jars of pasta sauce and packets of pasta, filling five large tubs with essential items. The Year 7 and 8 hampers will be donated to Echuca Neighbourhood House, and Mr Tim Bowles and Ms Kirrilee Westblade will deliver the items just in time for Easter.
A heartfelt thank you to all the students who, through this meaningful act of goodwill and almsgiving, have helped bring hope to those in our local area. This gift to Neighbourhood House reflects the compassionate spirit of our students, young people who are truly ‘hope bearers’ in their communities.
Well done, Years 7 and 8; we are incredibly proud of you all!
Kirrilee Westblade
Stage 4 Coordinator
Student Leadership and Service
Inspiring Change: Honouring Student Voices at the John Leaver Award Ceremony
Attending the John Leaver Award Ceremony was a privilege, as it provided the opportunity to witness twenty outstanding students from various Ecumenical schools across Victoria receive their well-deserved awards. The award recognises students who demonstrate the characteristics of the Reverend John Leaver himself: compassion, resilience, connection and broad-mindedness. Each recipient then delivered a short presentation on the theme "Leaving it Better," sharing their unique perspectives on how individuals can contribute to positive change.
The speeches were diverse, covering topics such as coding and CRISPR (a genome editing technology), yet they all conveyed the same fundamental message: making a difference does not always require a grand gesture. Instead, if every person takes even a small step toward improvement, meaningful change can be achieved. The passion and dedication with which each student spoke were truly inspiring, leaving a lasting impression on everyone in attendance.
"Attending the Leaving It Better awards was an experience that I won’t forget. Going into the event, I was excited but also unsure of what to expect. I knew I’d be hearing from other students about their efforts to create positive change, but I hadn’t anticipated just how powerful and eye-opening the day would be.
The ceremony began with each recipient delivering their "Leaving It Better" speech before receiving their award. After this, the parents and teachers left, giving us a chance to connect as a group. It was incredible to meet like-minded students from different schools, all passionate about making a difference.
One of the most impactful moments of the day was hearing from Dani and another representative from The Big Issue, who spoke about homelessness and different family structures. Danny shared her personal story—one of resilience in the face of immense hardship. Her journey was confronting but deeply inspiring, highlighting the importance of compassion and action in addressing social issues.
Later, artist Lynton spoke to us about overcoming challenges. Using pastels, he demonstrated how mistakes or setbacks don’t mean the end of a journey, storytelling through his art as he boldly crossed out parts of his artwork with colour, then transformed them into something new. His message was a powerful reminder that we can always grow from our experiences and use them to create something meaningful.
At the end of the day, we reflected on what we had learned, shared contacts, and left not just with an award but with a new group of friends. The experience reinforced how privileged we are to be in a position to leave things better whether through big actions or small, conscious decisions."
Written by Emma Mitchell (Year 12)